Brickhouse Family Association

(Left: Our family as drawn by 3 year old Caelyn., 1 year old Faith with one very funny face!)

Greetings Brickhouse Family and happy New Year! I’m sorry this newsletter is late again but I didn’t want to rush it, I wanted to make it the best I could. Our lives are full of wonderful new adventures and sometimes taking the time to write the newsletter gets pushed aside.

We are homeschooling our oldest 2 daughters, Nadia and Caelyn. This is our third year with Nadia and Caelyn ‘officially’ began in November, before that she always wanted to join in and spent her ‘school’ time coloring in Nadia’s old books. This has been one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had! Nadia is finishing up 2nd grade and Caelyn, now in kindergarten, read her first word 2 weeks ago. It’s a lot of fun reading a book to Caelyn and having her point out a word she knows, ‘Look Mommy, it’s ‘the’ again!’. Not only that but having Nadia sitting right next to us, quietly reading another chapter in Little House on the Prairie, does it get much better than that? We have been having a great time so far and I’m thankful for the chance to do this!

Faith our baby is beginning to make things interesting for her sisters, stealing their toys, climbing in their chairs and grabbing a bite of their food (even though she has just finished her own dinner!), and chasing them all around the house. She is truly the happiest baby we’ve ever met!

I also took up a hobby last year that has brought a lot of fun into our house. I began decorating cakes and of course the kids have thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of Mommy doing so much baking! I entered 2 cakes at a local fair last summer and was very surprised to win first place for both and also Best of Show! One of the cakes that won was for the Hershey Cocoa Contest and I was able to compete at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg last month. No win for me but it was a fun and a remarkable experience, especially considering that we had read the site map wrong and I had to carry my cake past some very smelly farm animals-twice! We had a great time none-the-less and look forward to this year’s possibilities.

My girls are also honing their skills, about once a month I let them help me decorate a cake and even Caelyn is coming up with some techniques I would have never thought of! Maybe in a few years we would start a small business but for now it is all just for fun. My husband Nick used to complain that I never made any cakes for him, now he says there’s too much cake!

 

The Brickhouse Family Recipe Box:

 

This is a new feature, send in your favorite recipe and I’ll print it in the newsletter! It doesn’t have to be an original recipe, just one that you and your family loves. I’ll start this off by one of our favorites. This is the recipe on the back of the Hershey Cocoa box, with a few minor changes made by me.

 

Chocolate Cake

 

2 c. sugar                                                         2 tsp. imitation vanilla extract

1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour                                     2 eggs

¾ c. cocoa                                                       1 c. skim milk

1 ½ tsp. baking powder                                    ½ c. olive oil

1 ½ tsp. baking soda                                        1 c. boiling water

1 tsp. salt

Heat over to 350 degrees. Spray two 9” round pans with baking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. I like to use a 2 cup measuring cup and will start by pouring the milk into it, then the ½ cup oil on top, next the eggs and last the vanilla. My kids love to watch this, the vanilla makes some very pretty designs in the oil and milk! Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended-about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

News and Inquiries from Across the Nation:

 

Photo website: Jean Ann Moon has a website containing very old pictures of Brickhouse family members (other families are also on this site, couple of Swains, a few Waddles, etc.). If you have a moment please take a look: http://www.ourfamilysearch.com/photo_albums.htm

 

Request for proof: I received a call from Bob Davis in Williamsburg, VA who wanted to know if anyone has some sort of documentation proving that Jane Brickhouse was the daughter of George Brickhouse and Mary Belote. I believe that dad had gotten the information from someone’s Bible; Bob is looking for something like a marriage bond, birth certificate, anything along those lines. Please email me if you have this information.

 

Unanswered: Just wanted to put it out there again, does anyone have information about an Emily Brickhouse marrying Joseph Hudson before 1850? She had a son she also named Joseph Hudson but the 1850 census shows Joseph Sr. living with his son and new wife in Ashe County, NC. I have several Emily’s in the book, but no Joseph Hudson.

Obituary:

 

Thomas S. Brickhouse, Sr. of Wilmington, NC, died on Nov. 29, 2007. He is survived by Veamon Duncan Brickhouse, his wife of 65 years; their children, Thomas S. Brickhouse Jr., and his wife, Cathy, of Hillsborough, Charles A. Brickhouse, of Wilmington, Sue Brickhouse Furman and her husband, Gerald of Mebane; and many grandchildren.

Thomas was a Navy veteran of World War 2 and Korea. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1957 as a Phi Beta Kappa.

Reunion:

 

I am including some photos from last year’s reunion.  I don’t yet have any info for you on this year’s reunion.  If you have a good photo or a good story from a past reunion, send it to us and we’ll put it in the newsletter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Send it in!

 

As you have probably seen we are asking for your submissions! Send us recipes, photos, stories, riddles, ANYTHING!  Send to Janel Flor, 232 Ann St., Phoenixville, PA 19460, email it, or give us a call 610-415-9537.  We are eager to hear from you and to get your news out to all the Brichouses.

 

This newsletter was brought to you by:

 

The Brickhouse family!

 

Thank you for all your help and support!

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Janel Brickhouse Flor
232 Ann St., Phoenixville, PA, 19460. 610-415-9537

 

Website:

Newsletters are also available online at http://www.brickhousefamily.com

 

Send us your news!  Give us a call, send us a letter or email us with any news items you have and would like to see in the newsletter!

Family History Order Form

 

Send request to:            June  Brickhouse

                                    251 Hall St.

                                    Phoenixville, PA 19460

 

Please send me:

 

_____ Brickhouse Family History Book $75.00

_____ CD Rom (Computer version of book, plus video clips and photos) $50.00

_____ DVD (Film tour of Tyrrell County narrated by Gordon Brickhouse) $25.00

 

 

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